Accessibility Services
Source: http://www.augie.edu/student-affairs/accessibility-services
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:12
Accessibility Services
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Accessibility Services
Augustana University values a learning community that is welcoming of all individuals — one that celebrates diversity and is supportive of individuals' needs. It is also Augustana's policy to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and all other applicable federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.
The Augustana director of accessibility partners with faculty and staff to ensure that all graduate and undergraduate students have an equal opportunity to participate fully in all aspects of the educational environment. Augustana uses technological advances and provide accommodations to individuals with documented disabilities to fulfill AU's institutional commitment of equal accessibility.
AU is eager to meet and communicate with you to describe our services in more detail. Additional resources for prospective students and families who are preparing for post-secondary educational experiences include:
The Augie Access Program
A Resource for Students With Disabilities Preparing for College
The Augustana director of accessibility provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. Students must self-disclose to receive services, which is voluntary. If you are interested in receiving accommodations, contact
jeff.merkle@augie.edu
at 605.274.4631.
Services are highly individualized, based on need, and vary depending on the essential components of a course or program; they may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Preferential seating
Interpreters for the Deaf
Textbooks in alternate format
FM systems or other equipment
Extended time on test
Less distracted exam locations
Peer note-takers
Accessible desks/classrooms/furniture
Study strategies, time management assistance, and organizational planning
Other ongoing academic support
Some accommodations, such as securing alternate texts, require advanced planning. Accommodations are also not retroactive. For these reasons, we encourage you to contact us as early as possible. Learn more about
providing documentation
and
requesting accommodations
.
Accommodations for Specific Housing Requests
The Dean of Students Office housing requests (single housing rooms) or exceptions to the current pet policy are considered in cooperation with Residential Life in the Office of Student Affairs. Augustana has limited housing space dedicated to single living; however, priority will be determined by the documentation received and the specific needs of our students. Contact
Jeff Merkle
, director of accessibility.
You are an important source of information about the effects of your disability and the effectiveness of accommodations. For this reason, when you request these services, we will ask you to describe your disability, past use of accommodations, and the disability’s impact on your educational experiences.
As we create your personalized accommodation plan, we seek to engage in a comprehensive assessment of recommended and beneficial accommodations that are tailored to your needs. For this reason, the Director of Accessibility may also request documentation to help Augustana better understand how courses, facilities, programs or other environmental factors may present barriers for you.
The
Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
has stated that documentation may come in many forms. Types of helpful documentation supportive of such requests include medical records, psycho-educational evaluations, individual education program (I.E.P.) or summary of performance (S.O.P.) reports, and school records. If additional diagnostic testing or evaluation is needed, staff will describe the information that is necessary or refer you for such testing.
Presenting documentation as soon as possible in the process is beneficial to both you and accessibility staff. However, you do not need to have documentation in hand to have a meeting with staff or to start the accommodations process. If a student’s disability is apparent, additional documentation may not be necessary. Each student’s situation is unique and is handled on a case-by-case basis. Documentation that is shared with accessibility staff is kept confidential and separate from your academic record.
You may submit your disability documentation to the accessibility staff at Augustana by faxing it to 605.274.5293 or by mailing it to the following address:
Augustana University
Attention: Jeff Merkle
Madsen Center, Room 223
2001 S. Summit Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57197
All personal information or documentation regarding a student received by Accessibility Services is kept confidential as guided by Augustana policies and federal law (FERPA). Information is only shared when absolutely necessary with other campus personnel on a “need to know basis”. Therefore disability personnel are very limited in the information they can share about students to anyone else, including the student’s parents. Students however may choose to sign a consent form for the release of information to facilitate conversation between parents, treating specialists and disability personnel.
ACCESSIBILITY GRIEVANCES
REQUEST ACCOMMODATIONS
AUGIE ACCESS PROGRAM
Contact Us
Director of Accessibility Jeff Merkle
Accessibility Services
Email
|
Skip to main content
Accessibility Services
Augustana University values a learning community that is welcoming of all individuals — one that celebrates diversity and is supportive of individuals' needs. It is also Augustana's policy to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and all other applicable federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.
The Augustana director of accessibility partners with faculty and staff to ensure that all graduate and undergraduate students have an equal opportunity to participate fully in all aspects of the educational environment. Augustana uses technological advances and provide accommodations to individuals with documented disabilities to fulfill AU's institutional commitment of equal accessibility.
AU is eager to meet and communicate with you to describe our services in more detail. Additional resources for prospective students and families who are preparing for post-secondary educational experiences include:
The Augie Access Program
A Resource for Students With Disabilities Preparing for College
The Augustana director of accessibility provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. Students must self-disclose to receive services, which is voluntary. If you are interested in receiving accommodations, contact
jeff.merkle@augie.edu
at 605.274.4631.
Services are highly individualized, based on need, and vary depending on the essential components of a course or program; they may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Preferential seating
Interpreters for the Deaf
Textbooks in alternate format
FM systems or other equipment
Extended time on test
Less distracted exam locations
Peer note-takers
Accessible desks/classrooms/furniture
Study strategies, time management assistance, and organizational planning
Other ongoing academic support
Some accommodations, such as securing alternate texts, require advanced planning. Accommodations are also not retroactive. For these reasons, we encourage you to contact us as early as possible. Learn more about
providing documentation
and
requesting accommodations
.
Accommodations for Specific Housing Requests
The Dean of Students Office housing requests (single housing rooms) or exceptions to the current pet policy are considered in cooperation with Residential Life in the Office of Student Affairs. Augustana has limited housing space dedicated to single living; however, priority will be determined by the documentation received and the specific needs of our students. Contact
Jeff Merkle
, director of accessibility.
You are an important source of information about the effects of your disability and the effectiveness of accommodations. For this reason, when you request these services, we will ask you to describe your disability, past use of accommodations, and the disability’s impact on your educational experiences.
As we create your personalized accommodation plan, we seek to engage in a comprehensive assessment of recommended and beneficial accommodations that are tailored to your needs. For this reason, the Director of Accessibility may also request documentation to help Augustana better understand how courses, facilities, programs or other environmental factors may present barriers for you.
The
Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
has stated that documentation may come in many forms. Types of helpful documentation supportive of such requests include medical records, psycho-educational evaluations, individual education program (I.E.P.) or summary of performance (S.O.P.) reports, and school records. If additional diagnostic testing or evaluation is needed, staff will describe the information that is necessary or refer you for such testing.
Presenting documentation as soon as possible in the process is beneficial to both you and accessibility staff. However, you do not need to have documentation in hand to have a meeting with staff or to start the accommodations process. If a student’s disability is apparent, additional documentation may not be necessary. Each student’s situation is unique and is handled on a case-by-case basis. Documentation that is shared with accessibility staff is kept confidential and separate from your academic record.
You may submit your disability documentation to the accessibility staff at Augustana by faxing it to 605.274.5293 or by mailing it to the following address:
Augustana University
Attention: Jeff Merkle
Madsen Center, Room 223
2001 S. Summit Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57197
All personal information or documentation regarding a student received by Accessibility Services is kept confidential as guided by Augustana policies and federal law (FERPA). Information is only shared when absolutely necessary with other campus personnel on a “need to know basis”. Therefore disability personnel are very limited in the information they can share about students to anyone else, including the student’s parents. Students however may choose to sign a consent form for the release of information to facilitate conversation between parents, treating specialists and disability personnel.
ACCESSIBILITY GRIEVANCES
REQUEST ACCOMMODATIONS
AUGIE ACCESS PROGRAM
Contact Us
Director of Accessibility Jeff Merkle
Accessibility Services
|